Don't Shut Me Out
by Jewelled Boots
Summary: Amy is over Sonic, or so she claims. Knuckles doesn't suffer from social anxiety, or so he insists. In the pink hedgehog's attempts to pull the red echidna out of his shell, will her feelings also come to change?
1. 1

_Don't Shut Me Out_

1

Emerald green eyes took in the almost dizzying array of colors filling the castle ballroom. Elegant dresses, some bright, some dark, many sparkling as if sprinkled over with a fine layer of stardust. Handsome tuxedos, majority of them black, but here and there a white or blue one. The most original amongst them was a yellow suit which proudly bore a red carnation in its breast pocket. Eye-catching, though not in a bad way. The look rather suited the individual wearing it.

Amy smiled at the unbeknownst middle-aged mouse before turning her gaze to the couples dancing. A gentle chorus of violins directed their movements in a simple waltz. Tails was with Cream, he in a black suit and she in a turquoise dress, her ruffled skirt and short, puffy sleeves twinkling like diamonds. Both were avoiding direct eye-contact, shy smiles on their faces, muzzles tinted pink. The sight caused Amy's smile to widen.

Her eyes then went to Blaze and Silver, the newly crowned queen and king of Sol. Silver wore a white suit with cyan trimmings and long coattails. Blaze wore a modest purple dress with a flowing skirt. The feline queen had on her solemn regal face, the face she habitually donned at big social events to mask how uncomfortable they made her. Her hedgehog husband didn't seem bothered by it, though. His golden eyes were shining, smiling lips trembling with restrained laughter. He had been talking quietly to his wife while they danced and something she said must have tickled his funny bone.

Biting her bottom lip to suppress a giggle herself, Amy looked away from the humorous couple, her eyes travelling to the opposite end of the dance floor. Here the light of her countenance dimmed.

Sonic...All dressed up in black, even forsaking his trademark red sneakers for a pair of shiny dress shoes. She couldn't remember him ever wearing such formal attire before. No matter what the occasion, Sonic typically refused to alter his usual look, only going as far as putting on a bow-tie if he thought he should at least try to appear a bit formal. But considering just how momentous today's occasion was, maybe his conscience prompted him to step out of his comfort zone this once. Blaze and Silver's coronation wasn't your everyday party, after all.

His dance partner was none other than Rouge the Bat dressed exquisitely in a strapless red dress. Their bodies were close enough for her head to rest on his chest.

Amy didn't know what kind of relationship the two shared. They both liked flirting, yet she had never seen them get particularly intimate. Sometimes she thought more was going on between them, other times she chalked up their risqué behavior to their odd sense of fun. Playful, cocky, adventurous...they certainly had a lot in common.

The pink hedgehog shook her head, inwardly reminding herself that she shouldn't be jealous. Sonic could dance and touch and play with whoever he wanted. She wasn't chasing after him anymore.

_"Really?" _Knuckles' disbelieving voice questioned in her head. She could still remember the infuriating smirk he gave her the day she told him of her change of heart.

_"I'll believe it when I see it."_

Amy rolled her eyes. What did he know anyway?

Scanning the room, she found the scarlet echidna standing near a table where a bowl of red wine was situated. He had on a white tux and his dreadlocks were pulled back into a ponytail. The poor guy was obviously uncomfortable, his right hand fidgeting with the end of his left sleeve, violet eyes flittering between staring at the floor and glaring at anyone who ventured too close. Amy's anger evaporated, a smile threatening to break forth across her muzzle. His nervousness was oddly cute.

_'I should go talk to him.' _she thought. _'It's not good for him to be all alone over there.'_

Her brow furrowed. _'But what do I say to him? It's not like we talk much...'_

Emerald orbs fixed themselves on the nervous male. He was really suffering, wasn't he?

Taking a deep breath, Amy squared her shoulders, her mind made up.


	2. 2

_Don't Shut Me Out_

2

"Heya, Knux."

Surprised at hearing his name, the echidna looked up with a start to see a wide smile on Amy Rose's face and a playful spark in her green eyes. He scowled.

"What is with you people and always shortening my name?"

"It's just what friends do, I guess." Amy shrugged.

"It's annoying." The full meaning of her words sunk in a second later, bringing Knuckles to raise a skeptical brow. "And when did we become friends?"

"After five years of battling together against Eggman, you wouldn't consider us friends at this point?"

"Not really."

His blunt answer took Amy aback and her expression morphed into a slight frown. "Ouch, Knuckles."

"Hn. The truth has a way of doing that." he replied, folding his arms across his chest and coolly diverting his gaze.

The pink hedgehog's left eye twitched. She had come over to give the poor guy some company and this was how he repaid her? Biting the inside of her cheek, Amy resisted the urge to tell him off. The last thing she wanted was to make a scene during the afterparty of Silver and Blaze's coronation. Plus, perhaps it was simply nerves that had the infamously disagreeable echidna behaving like more of a jerk than usual.

Breathing in through her nostrils and releasing the air out her mouth, Amy managed to calm herself. Knuckles was staring sideways at nothing, so she used the moment to study his features. Though still upset with him, she had to admit he looked strikingly handsome right now. His ponytail was especially captivating.

A lopsided smirk crept upon the she-hog's muzzle. "Was it your idea to pull your dreadlocks back?" she asked.

Knuckles wrinkled his nose as if he had caught whiff of an unpleasant aroma. "Rouge." he muttered.

"Hm, I like it."

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, sure."

"No seriously, Knuckles. You look nice."

The echidna merely grunted. Lips pursing, a surge of annoyance began rising again within Amy. The feeling dispersed, however, when her eyes happened to fall on his one visible hand.

"Oh, wow..." she breathed. "You're...You're not wearing your gloves!"

Knuckles tensed, a light pink coloring his cheeks. "S-So what?" he snapped.

"I can't believe I didn't notice before. I don't think I've ever seen you without them." Amy observed his bare hand with awe. "Your barbs are smaller than I thought they would be."

"They're the same as they've always been." Knuckles retorted.

Without thinking, Amy reached out to touch him. But the instant her fingers brushed against his skin, Knuckles' blush intensified and he jerked his hand away.

"What is with you?" he growled, violet orbs afire.

"I just want to see how soft your hand is." said Amy, shrugging casually.

Knuckles narrowed his eyes. "My hands are not soft. And you should ask permission before you just go around putting _your _hands all over people."

The pink hedgehog furrowed her brow quizzically. "It was just your hand, Knuckles. You act like I was doing something perverted."

"It's _my _hand and if I don't want you to touch it that's _my _business!"

Alarmed by the volume of his voice, Amy raised her palms defensively. "Okay, okay! You don't have to freak out about it." she spoke using a hushed tone, hoping it would remind him of the people standing nearby. Unfortunately, comprehending subtle hints was never the echidna's strong point.

"I'm not freaking out!" he shouted. Amy cringed. Dread churned the contents of her stomach and, biting her bottom lip, she reluctantly looked around. Sure enough, people were staring.

Realizing too late what he had just done, Knuckles shrunk back, his muzzle burning a red that rivalled his fur color. Unable to stop his body from trembling under the influence of his agitated nerves, the embarrassment eventually proved too much for him.

"Forget this." he snarled, jabbing his hands into his pants' pockets and stalking off. Amy glared at his retreating figure, fists clenching the skirt of her blue dress. She didn't dare look in the direction of the dance floor fearing her eyes might meet the concerned stares of her friends.

Why had she bothered trying to talk to that hothead? She should have known any conversation she engaged him in would lead to this. The idiot was constantly losing his cool over the silliest little things and his temper only seemed to grow worse with each passing year. Sonic himself had recently said he didn't know how to handle the echidna anymore and he was Knuckles' closet friend!

Amy huffed, angrily crossing her arms. She caught a glint of red in her peripheral vision and turned her head to glare down the bowl of wine beside her.

_'Stupid Knucklehead...'_


	3. 3

_Don't Shut Me Out_

3

Ignoring the protests of the castle doormen, Knuckles shoved his way outside into the blustery night. The icy wind hit him hard, flakes of snow pelting his face, the harsh winter elements hindering his ability to walk. Clutching his stomach and gritting his teeth, he hobbled as far as the stairs before collapsing to his knees. With every bit of his remaining strength he fought the urge to vomit, but the burning liquid in his throat kept rising. For the past two days he had successfully held his sickness at bay. Now, all of a sudden, it was completely overwhelming him.

"S-Sir?" one of the doormen approached the fallen echidna, a look of concern on the young lynx's face. "Are you alright?"

He figured he had his answer when the scarlet furred male spewed over the stairs.

...

The atmosphere inside the ballroom had long since returned to normal by the time an anxious looking maid approached Sonic.

_'What has the idiot gotten himself into this time?'_ was the first thought to cross Amy's mind as she watched the feline hurry away with the cobalt hedgehog. Doubtless he was being called to attend to Knuckles. She wouldn't be surprised if she later learned the hot-headed redhead had been venting his anger on a guard or castle property.

Amy rolled her eyes. One of these days the echidna's temper was going to land him in serious trouble and Sonic wouldn't be around to bail him out. Maybe then he'd learn his lesson.

_'Yeah, that'll be the day.' _she grunted scornfully, glaring at the swirling red wine within her glass. _'I swear that guy has bricks for brains...'_

Tipping her head back, Amy took a swig of the wine. A look of absolute disgust immediately contorted her features. Resisting the urge to spit the drink out, she slapped a hand to her puckered lips, an unvoluntary squeal escaping her. Hastily, she forced herself to swallow the liquid, gasping after the terrible task was finished. She then gave her glass an incredulous stare. How could people drink this stuff?

"Disgusting..." she mumbled, dragging her hand across her mouth. Was there a water fountain somewhere? She seriously needed to wash the horrid taste off her tongue.

_'Maybe some food would help...'_

"Ames?"

The pink hedgehog gasped and stiffened. Her surprised emerald orbs shot up to a pair of green eyes identical to her own, though there was a grimness in them not contained in hers.

"S-Sonic?" she stammered, blinking dumbly.

"Hey, Ames, you busy? I kinda really need your help with something." he said, arms crossed and foot tapping impatiently. The intensity of his gaze unnerved her a bit. It was rare to see Sonic so serious.

"Oh, I, uh, wasn't doing much but standing here." Blushing, Amy hoped he hadn't witnessed her incident with the wine. "What's up?"

"Knuckles, of course." Sonic sighed, almost sounding exasperated. "Somehow he's gotten himself sick. Really, really sick."


	4. 4

_Don't Shut Me Out_

4

It was hot. Agonizingly hot. His skull was pounding like crazy, his throat was burning like acid, and his stomach was twisting itself into painful knots, but it was the heat Knuckles found most unbearable.

The red echidna whimpered, his head lolling to the side, beads of perspiration rolling down his temple. His clothes clung to his sweat drenched body, a thick blanket further smothering him in an extra layer of warmth. Panting, he struggled for breath, the sweltering heat seemingly sapping the air of oxygen.

Creasing his brow, he gripped the fabric of the blanket covering him with the intention of casting the torturous thing aside. The muscles of his arms refused to budge, though.

Knuckles was not supposed to know weakness. It was the reason why he trained every day for hours on his island. Vulnerability, helplessness...these things both frightened and disgusted him. Yet here he was, the strength he had spent years building up having evaporated like smoke. He couldn't even muster the energy to open his eyes. Pathetic.

_"You're not as tough as you think you are, Knuckie." _Rouge's husky voice wafted into the silence. Beneath his dreadlocks, Knuckles' ear twitched. Her words were only a distant memory, but in his delirium he sensed her breath carress his neck, her full lips teasingly brushing against his skin as she spoke.

_"One of these days you're gonna find yourself in a pickle you can't just punch your way out of and then you'll be wishing you had little ol' me there to lend a hand..."_

He had scoffed at the notion. The thought of him ever needing her was ridiculous. No matter the challenge, no matter the obstacle, he could handle whatever hardships life tossed his way alone. She was nothing more than an annoying distraction.

_'Liar.' _his inner voice accused, sending a pang of guilt through his heart. _'You say you hate dishonesty, but all you ever speak is lies. Why can't you just admit how you feel? Why can't you just come clean already? Why are you hiding?' _

Why? Because he was a coward, a pitiful coward who was scared to death of his own feelings. He could never deserve someone like her. She was true to herself and her beliefs. He was a sham of a person hiding behind a macho facade. And he hated it, he hated it so much.

_'You were right, Rouge...'_

A cold shiver snaked up Knuckles' spine and he tightened his grip on his blanket. One half of him desired to return to the blissful state of slumber he had experienced mere moments ago. The other half feared he might not wake again if he allowed himself to drift off. His rapid heartbeat thundered in his ears. A paralyzing terror seized him.

The darkness was dragging him under. He could feel its black tendrils coiling around his mind, preparing to swallow him whole. The pull was too strong to fight. Slowly but surely, his thoughts were slipping away from him.

_'Rouge...Rouge, I lied...' _he tried to speak, yet no sound left his slightly parted lips. If he was really nearing his end, he wished for her to know his true feelings. He wished for her to know how much he needed her. How much he wanted her. How much he loved her...

"Knuckles..."

The whispered call came seconds before he lost consciousness. A hand touched his cheek, cool and comforting. He vaguely noted the person smelled of lavender blossoms.

"Don't worry, Knuckles. I know it hurts right now, but you're gonna be okay. I promise..."

Despite not recognizing who the voice belonged to, somehow he knew he could trust the stranger. His fear suddenly vanishing, the echidna exhaled a long, rasping breath and fell asleep.


	5. 5

_Don't Shut Me Out_

5

_"Down with the white warlock_

_Restore our kingdom's feline glory_

_We will no longer stand idly by..."_

Sonic glared coldly at the note, his tight grip crinkling the small sheet of paper.

"They poisoned the wine..." he stated, speaking more to himself than the others inside the secluded meeting room. He and his friends had gathered there after the threatening message had been delivered to Blaze and Silver. Unfortunately, the royal chef who first found the note disregarded it until the news of Knuckles' poisoning spread amongst the castle servants.

"But why?" asked Silver. "I get that a lot of people were against Blaze marrying me, but why hurt everyone else for what _we _did?"

"Because to attack the people is to attack the trust the people have in their rulers." Blaze coolly informed him, her arms crossed over her chest.

The white hedgehog raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"If we were attacked directly, the anger of the people would have been directed only against our attackers." his wife explained. "But this way, there is a chance that some might partially blame us for what happened, thus furthering the cause of these terrorists."

Silver wrinkled his nose. "That's just stupid."

Amber orbs narrowing, Blaze glared at him.

"Luckily, the poison only seems to cause mild stomach cramps and headaches if ingested in small quantities." interjected Tails, hoping to alleviate some of the building tension. "And since the taste made the wine so bitter, no-one drunk much of it."

"Except ol' Knucklehead, of course." said Rouge, sitting on the edge of a large rectangular table, her right leg draped across her left. "He downed two glasses just to prove how macho he was when I teased him about not being able to handle a little wine."

Sonic sighed. "Plus, Knuckles was already sick to begin with..."

"He was?" questioned Tails.

"He wouldn't tell me outright, but I think he was coming down with the flu or something."

Alarm filled the two-tailed fox's face. "The flu? But that could make his condition even worse! Maybe even fatal!"

Sitting in a chair beside Rouge, Cream gasped. Rouge's half-lidded eyes widened. Silver and Blaze exchanged concerned looks.

"Woah there, buddy." Sonic smiled nervously, palms raised. "Let's not start a panic. The doctor did say this kind of poison is rarely fatal and ol' Knux's system will probably get rid of it in a few days."

"Yeah, but..."

"Uh-uh, no buts about it." the blue hedgehog wagged a silencing finger. "And come on, this is Knucklehead we're talking about. The guy's as tough as the rocks he has for a brain."

Tails quirked his lips in a sideways frown. "I guess..."

"And Amy's looking after him." Cream added softly, also wanting to reassure Tails. "Mother has been teaching her a lot about taking care of sick people..."

"True..." the fox half-heartedly agreed.

"See, there's nothing to worry about." Sonic faked a grin and clapped a hand down on Tails' shoulder. "Just give him a couple of days. Ol' Knux will pull through."

"In the meantime, we need to start looking for the individuals responsible for this." said Blaze. "They used a weak, bitter poison as a warning to us. If we give them a chance to strike again, I doubt they will be as kind."

...

Observing a snowflake that kissed the windowpane, Amy was able to catch a glimpse of its amazingly intricate design before it melted into nothingness. The sight was kind of sad, really. Each snowflake was a work of pure beauty and yet they were all so short-lived. There one moment and gone the next, leaving no trace of their existence behind.

The pink hedgehog sighed, her breath fogging up a spot on the window. She drew a heart into the mist with her index finger, only for the image to fade away seconds later. Sadly, she wondered if her actual heart would suffer a similar fate, silently disappearing like a breath upon glass, unnoticed by the world. A frown then narrowed her emerald orbs. Hadn't she promised herself that she would stop thinking these melancholy thoughts?

_'Come on, Amy, get a hold of yourself.' _her mental voice chided. _'If you keep going like this, you'll end up as eternally gloomy as Shadow himself.'_

She huffed and shook her head, straightening her posture. This depression of hers was seriously starting to grow wearisome. She didn't even know why she was feeling so low lately.

_'Maybe it's just the weather.' _she pondered. _'Some people do suffer from seasonal depression, especially during the winter months.'_

She returned her attention to the snowfall outside. Despite the window being closed, she could feel the chill of the moaning wind through the glass. The black sky was steadily becoming a lighter grey, signalling the approach of dawn. Amy's fingers curled tightly in her lap. How long had she been sitting here?

Her thoughts were interrupted by a barely audible whimper. Ears swivelling, her gaze travelled from the window to the bed inside the castle guestroom.

"Knuckles?" she called softly, unsure if he was awake or asleep. Lying on his back with a blanket tucked under his arms, the red echidna didn't stir, but the dim lamp perched atop the nightstand allowed Amy to see the slight crease of his brow as his eyes darted around beneath his eyelids. Concerned his fever might have risen again, she rose out of her chair and approached the bed.

Upon closer inspection of the echidna, the pink hedgehog's stomach contorted. His normally vibrant fur color appeared dull, its usual healthy sheen replaced with a sweaty, sickly glossiness. Dark bags surrounded his eyes, a crusty substance sealing them shut. His breathing was labored, mouth ajar and dry lips cracked. Though Knuckles had always been well-muscled, he looked small and fragile right now. The way his long dreadlocks framed his face increased the effect.

_'What kind of scum would purposely do something like this to someone they didn't even know?' _Amy wondered angrily. She removed the damp cloth from Knuckles' forehead and brought a hand to his wet skin. Her frown deepened. He was getting hotter.

Heaving a frustrated sigh, Amy went to resoak the cloth in the bowl on the nightstand. Knuckles moaned his protest, missing her cool touch.

"Don't worry, Knux." she said. "I'm gonna get your fever down somehow..."

And clenching her jaw stubbornly, she forced herself to ignore her doubts.

* * *

Thank you, dear readers, for your continual support despite my lagging updates. These last two chapters have been challenging to write, but the next few should come easier to me.

Special thanks goes to Darksonic52, Kirbymon11, Kikazi, Galem, Super-sonic Iblish, MFG, DrFinitevusTheEchidna129, and Olivia The Echidna for their encouraging reviews. Plus, I wish to thank Kikazi and DrFinitevusTheEchidna129 for favoriting my story. You guys are too kind.

Please continue reading everyone and, if you are so inclined, leave a review to tell me about your thoughts and feelings. I truly find it inspiring.

Thank you again!


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